Witnesses: Bomb Blasts Kill 9 in Northeastern Nigerian City

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Twin explosions from suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers killed at least nine people in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, a rescue official and witnesses said.

The first explosion came when two suicide bombers tried to enter a camp holding more than 16,000 refugees from Boko Haram's Islamic uprising at around 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), according to civilian self-defense fighter Dan Batta.

Inuwe Sula, who lives nearby, said he saw six bodies evacuated outside Bakassi refugee camp and several wounded survivors "drenched with blood."

The second blast came half an hour later and about a kilometer away when a tricycle taxi carrying at least two people exploded opposite a fuel depot, Batta said.

Nine people were killed and rescuers were carrying several wounded victims to hospitals, Sani Datta, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press.

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks after a months-long lull caused by a leadership struggle in the organization affiliated with the Islamic State group.

Nigeria's home-grown insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people, spread across borders and forced some 2.6 million people from their homes.

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